Philosophy
by Voyager Tip
Summary: Takes place after "The Reunion", when Jeff starts to think about the meaning of life.  During their travels, Phineas helps him to realize that he has his own brand of wisdom.  An important death occurs along the way.
1. Chapter 1

_Authors Note: This story takes place after The Reunion when Jeffrey is 13 years old. As teenagers do, he begins to think about big issues, such as "Why are we here?" and "What is the meaning of life?" Over several voyages, Bogg helps Jeffrey to start figuring out his own answers to those questions. I tried my best to handle the death in Chapter 12 as respectfully and realistically as possible._

**_Philosophy_**

**Chapter 1 Steve Martin**

Phineas Bogg and Jeffrey Jones landed on a slight grassy slope and each rolled over once before they sat up. They both glanced around quickly, experience telling them that they could be in danger. But all seemed peaceful, and they smiled at each other, lots of landings were worse than this.

"This looks like a college," Jeff observed, looking around at the large brick buildings as he stood up. They were behind a few large trees and Jeff peeked around them and saw grassy lawns and a few students walking on the paths that criss-crossed a wide expanse of grass. "What's the date?"

Bogg took the omni off his belt and opened it, "Long Beach, California, 1964, red light." As Bogg put the omni back on his belt he spoke again, "know anything about Long Beach, California?"

"I know that," Jeff said pointing to a large sign that stood over a wide road that appeared to be the entrance to the institution. "California State University," he read.

"Oh," Bogg said, looking around.

"And I know him, but he looks so young!"

"Who?" and Bogg walked over behind Jeff so he could look over his shoulder through the trees. He saw a young man about to toss a coin, not 8 feet from where they were standing.

Jeffrey walked forward and touched the man's arm, drawing his attention away from the coin toss. "Hi, I'm Jeffrey, this is my father, Phineas Bogg," he said. Since the adoption, he had started introducing Bogg differently, based on how he felt about the situation they were in. Phineas had started joking with him about how hard it was getting to keep his title straight, when it changed from voyage to voyage.

"Phineas? Bogg?" the man said staring at the two voyagers. "That name has a strange sound to it. Kind of funny, did anyone ever tell you that?" he asked.

Bogg cleared his throat, "yeah, it's come up," he stammered and his mind flashed back to the first time Jeffrey had heard his name. He could still hear the kids tone of voice as he asked, 'Phineas?' It wasn't his fault that his name had become less popular over the years.

"You're Steve Martin, aren't you?" Jeff asked, oblivious to his partner's discomfort.

"That's right."

"So what're you doing with that coin?"

Martin sighed, "I'm tossing this coin to make a decision because I have no idea what to do."

"What decision?" Jeff asked as Bogg looked on, still confused as to who Steve Martin was or how history could be effected.

"I can't put it off any longer," he said, and his voice betrayed his stress. Jeff waited for him to continue, "I need to pick a major."

"A major what?" Bogg asked, hoping to contribute to the conversation.

Jeff rolled his eyes, how in the world had Bogg gotten along without him, he wondered. Instead of responding to Bogg, he addressed his next comment to Martin. "What are your choices?"

Steve laughed, "I really don't see how a kid I've never met can help me, but okay kid, Philosophy or Theatre, what do you think?"

Jeff smiled, this would be easy, he thought to himself, but because it was so important, he wanted to be sure, so he asked a question, "you mean Philosophy, like in Plato and Aristotle?"

"Yeah, Plato, as in 'What's the meaning of life, why are we here', that kind of stuff, but I've never heard of this Aristotle guy, is he on campus now? There's a lot of philosophical stuff going..."

"You've never heard of Aristotle?" Jeff asked.

As Steve Martin shook his head in confusion, Jeff backed away and turned toward Bogg. They moved back behind the trees as one and began to talk.

"Bogg everyone knows Aristotle," Jeff began.

"Yeah, even I know he was a famous Greek philosopher, but who's this Martin guy?"

"He's a famous comedian, or will be."

"Okay so let's go see about Aristotle."

"Give me a minute and I'll fix Steve Martin."

"I don't really think a comedian is that important, we've got a major philosopher who's missing."

"Not important? Of course he's important, he'll make millions of people laugh and forget their problems."

"He's just a comedian, Jeff."

Jeff paused, "look, when I was eight, my grandfather died. I can remember sitting with my dad after the funeral when everyone was so worn out they couldn't even stand up."

"What does that have to do with..."

"Because someone put the TV on and Steve Martin was doing one of his routines, and," Jeff stopped and felt a lump in his throat, "my dad laughed. I didn't even know what the joke was, but it made me feel good that he could still laugh."

Phineas Bogg stared at his partner, keeping a rough expression, but inside his heart melted. When the kid was upset, it always had this effect on him. He would do anything to relieve Jeffrey's distress. "Okay, go fix him," he said, putting his hand on Jeff's shoulder. Jeff wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. When he was sure he could speak normally, he walked back to Martin.

"Mr. Martin, you're a natural born comedian. I've seen you in clubs around here. How could you want to study Philosophy?"

"I've just always been intrigued with it." He paused, "you've seen my act?"

"Yeah, and trust me, you should pick Theatre as a major."

Martin smiled, "okay kid, thanks," and he took the form out of his bag and Jeff watched as he checked the box for Theatre. "Guess I better turn this in," he said and turned toward the building, "thanks."

"Any time," Jeff said and ran back to Bogg, who was opening the omni.

"It's still red," Bogg observed.

"It can't be, I straightened out Steve Martin."

Bogg showed it to him, "well, Aristotle isn't a philosopher in this timeline, so once we straighten him out, this wouldn't even have happened."

"Oh," Jeff whispered, "yeah." He'd been so wrapped up in his memories that he hadn't even realized that. "You knew that, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Why'd you let me talk to him then?"

"Like I could've stopped you," Bogg began, "besides, it'll be an advantage when we come back after we fix Aristotle. It's nice to have a previous conversation to help you stay grounded."

"Grounded?"

"Yeah, so you have some idea of what to expect next time."

Jeff stared at him, he like the term grounded, it was very easy to get mixed up when you were traveling through time.

"So, when and where was Aristotle?"

"I don't think I know for sure," Jeff answered uncertainly.

"Well, if you get us close and there's a red light, the automatic mode will kick in and take us there."

Jeff paused and when Bogg looked at him he had a strange look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Did you hear what Steve Martin said while we were talking?"

"Not really, what?"

"He said 'what's the meaning of life, and why are we here."

"So?"

"So why are we here, Bogg?" Jeff asked and tilted his head to the side as if to show his confusion.

"We're here to fix history kid, you know that," Bogg answered in a surprised tone of voice.

"I know, but," and Jeff paused, "I mean, why are people on earth at all?"

Bogg stared at his young charge. He had never felt prepared for his guardianship of Jeff, and now he felt at a total loss for words. "I don't know, but they are."

Jeff stared at him and sighed, and Bogg had the feeling that Jeff had given this topic some thought before today, and that it would come up again. "Try 350 BC, Macedonia"

"Grab on," Bogg said, glad to have a change of subject. He twirled the dial and they disappeared.


	2. The River

**Chapter 2 The River**

"As they fell, Bogg could see the swiftly moving river and reacted instinctively. He knew he couldn't control his position during transit, but as soon as he felt water he started taking strong strokes against the current in Jeffrey's direction. He reached him just after the boy landed and the whitewater immediately pushed them into and over the large rocks, taking them downstream quickly. He coughed as he accidentally breathed in some water and grabbed Jeff around the waist and held tight. With his other hand and using both legs, he tried to move them toward the edge of the whitewater rapids. Then Phineas felt his shoulders leave the water and realized they were going over a waterfall. He pushed off with his foot to try and stay under Jeffrey as they fell. After a short drop they landed hard on a boulder. He kept hold of Jeffrey, pulling him as close as he could, even as he saw stars.

Jeff landed hard on top of Bogg's chest as they dropped through the air and onto the boulder at the foot of the small waterfall. He heard Bogg grunt as he landed on him and felt his grip on him slip. He held on tighter to his partner as they hit the water again, and when they went under, he wasn't sure Bogg was still conscious. He struggled to keep his own head above the water, wishing he could do the same for Bogg. They were carried quickly and hurled repeatedly against the large rocks and boulders in the river.

Suddenly, Jeff saw a rope sail across the water in front of them. As they plowed into it, Jeff grabbed it and wrapped it around his hand and arm. His other fist was clenched around Bogg's belt and his legs wrapped around his partner.

He felt the rope get taut and the pain in his hand was terrible as they were hauled toward the edge of the churning water where he could see the trunk of a large tree jutting out into the rapids. Suddenly they slammed into it and stopped moving downstream. The force of hitting the tree loosened Jeff's grip on Bogg but there was no current here to take him away. Instead, Jeff watched in horror as Bogg's head slipped quietly under the calm water in the protected area in front of the tree.


	3. The Rescue

**Chapter 3 The Rescue**

Jeff grabbed Bogg under his arm and neck and pulled up so his head was resting in the crook of his elbow. His body was limp and Jeff struggled to find some kind of support for his feet so he could try to pull Bogg to the shore. He was surprised that the water was only waist deep here, so he stood up, breathing hard and still holding Bogg tightly against his chest, trying his best to keep his head above water. He looked around desperately, and just when he didn't think he had the strength to move even an inch toward land, he felt a hand on his shoulder and Bogg's weight taken off his body. He started to fall back and might have gone under again himself if another pair of hands, this time small ones hadn't grabbed him and pulled him toward shore.

Once his feet were on solid ground, he stumbled toward where Bogg had been placed on his side on the rocky soil, oblivious to the voices around him. "Bogg!" he sobbed, shaking Phineas' shoulder, but his friend didn't wake up.

On his knees beside him, he noticed the many cuts and scrapes on Bogg's face, arms and hands. He could see a trickle of blood that started under Bogg's head and formed a path across a flat rock and onto the ground. He leaned close and felt him still breathing, then finally, Jeff looked up at his rescuers, "he needs help," he sobbed, "please!"

"Ari, bring the wagon as close as you can," the man ordered the boy, then he held out his hand to Jeff. "Artemis," he said. He was taller than Bogg, and large-boned, a huge man and Jeffrey found himself hoping he had a kind nature, given his size.

"Jeffrey," Jeff answered, shaking his hand, "this is Phineas Bogg."

They pulled the wagon close and Artemis lifted Bogg into the back. Jeffrey climbed in beside him, unwilling to be separated, and they started toward wherever home was for these people. Jeff sat as close to Bogg as he could and pulled some hay over him for warmth. He kept his hand on Bogg's shoulder as he worked, not wanting to let go of his friend. Jeffrey knew that head injuries could be dangerous and he wouldn't stop worrying until Bogg was awake and talking to him normally.

When the wagon stopped, Artemis moved Bogg to a narrow bed in a room just inside the walls of a city. A castle could be seen on the far side of the city, rising above the structures around it.

A heavy blanket lay on a bench near the bed and Jeffrey immediately spread it over Phineas. Once he was satisfied that no more could be done for him at the moment, he addressed their rescuers.

"Thank you for helping us, I don't know what we'd have done if you hadn't thrown that rope and taken us in," he said to Artemis and Ari.

"That river has claimed many, it was Providence that we were there at just the right time," Artemis said.

Jeff nodded, he'd heard many people swear that the omni's timing was Providence before. "Have you heard of someone named Aristotle?"

"That's me," the boy answered, "but since my father died, most people just call me Ari."

Jeff stared at him, then over to Artemis, "so you aren't father and son?"

"I'll be back," Artemis said, ignoring the conversation as he left.

"Who is he then?" Jeff asked Ari, pointing to the huge man who had just left.

"He's my uncle," Ari said in a sad voice.

Jeff turned back to Bogg and unhooked the omni from his belt and opened it, a red light. He closed it and replaced it before speaking. "Are you safe here?" Jeff asked him.

"Me? Yes, why?"

"And your father was the King's doctor, right?" Jeff asked, just to be sure he had the right Aristotle.

"Yes."

A deep cough came from the bed and Jeff was beside Bogg instantly. He tried to sit up and Jeff pushed him back gently.

"Lay back, it's okay," he whispered.

"Jeff?" Bogg opened his eyes in the dim light. "The river," he said softly, coughing deeply again.

"It's over, we're safe," Jeff smiled as tears sprung to his eyes. He leaned down and gently put his arms around Bogg's chest.  
"Safe?"

"It's okay, how do you feel?" Jeff asked as Ari sat down across the room and watched and listened.

"You're okay?"

"I'm alright, you're the one we have to worry about," Jeff said and sniffed.

"My head," Bogg whispered, and coughed again as he put his hand up and touched the side of his head.

"It was bleeding, can you roll over so I can take a look?" Jeff asked.

Bogg slowly rolled over and Jeff glanced at Ari, "do you have any alcohol?"

The boy jumped up immediately and went into another room. He returned a few moments later with an earthen jug containing wine.

"This'll hurt," Jeff said to Bogg, and started to clean the wound.

After several minutes, Jeff stopped. He didn't have a particularly clean covering to put over the cut. It had stopped bleeding, so he decided to leave it open to the air so a scab would form more quickly. "Can you stay in this position for awhile?" he asked Bogg. But there was no answer, and Jeff realized he was again unconscious.


	4. Another Orphan

**Chapter 4 Another Orphan**

Jeffrey sat with Phineas through the long night, unwilling even to lay down beside him and sleep. He moved restlessly and moaned and talked several times, and his coughs sounded very congested. Ari and Artemis came and went, doing chores and preparing a meal, before they settled down to sleep. They offered Jeff some bread, and he thanked them, but didn't eat much.

Just before dawn, Phineas rolled over and opened his eyes. "It's okay," Jeff's response was automatic, and he reached out and squeezed his partner's shoulder. Bogg had been restless throughout the night and Jeff's voice and touch had calmed him. This time however, it was different.

"I thought I was dead," Phineas said in a clear voice, "but I kept hearing your voice."

Jeff sat up straight, the voice he heard was clear and strong, and he smiled broadly. He wrapped his left arm around Bogg's neck and felt him return the hug.

As Jeff let go, Bogg moved slowly to sit up.

"Go easy," Jeff warned, "you've been out for a long time."

Bogg winced as he sat up and reached up to his head. Jeff grabbed his arm, "don't touch your head, it needs to be left alone."

"How long was I out? Where are we?" Bogg asked, slowly getting his bearings.

"I think about 12 hours, we're with Aristotle, it's a red light and he's a kid."

"I'm ten," the boy piped up from across the room.

"He's ten," Jeff added, then he whispered, "he's been watching me like a hawk, I don't even think he slept."

"Okay, do we know what's wrong?"

"No, I've been afraid to leave you to find out anything else."

Bogg smiled, "well, I think I'm better now, so why don't we try to scope this place out today." He coughed and then closed his eyes as a wave of pain passed through his head.

Jeff put his hand on his shoulder, "why don't you lay back and I'll tell you what I do know."

As Jeff explained what little he knew about Ari and his uncle, he kept a wary eye on Bogg. He could tell that he was in pain when he moved and his cough didn't sound good at all. He lay with his eyes closed, listening to the information. Jeff paused and when Bogg didn't ask why, he realized he was unconscious again, though Jeff hoped he was just asleep.

He thought back to how Bogg had reached him almost as soon as he hit the water and how he had held him tightly against his chest to protect him from the rocks as much as possible as they were swept downstream. Jeffrey had bumps and bruises too, his hand hurt him a lot, but none of his injuries seemed as serious as Bogg's were. Bogg had protected him as much as he could from the impacts with the rocks in the river and had suffered the brunt of almost all the blows. He even remembered being pulled roughly upwards as they fell and then landing on top of Bogg instead of the boulder when they went over the small waterfall.

"You haven't called him father," Ari's words jolted Jeff out of his thoughts.

"No," he whispered.

"Are you an orphan? Like me?" Ari asked.

"Yeah."

Phineas took a deep breath, "guess I fell asleep," he said and groaned as he moved to stretch. He sat up slowly and Jeff didn't let go of his arm.

"What is he then?" Ari asked as Bogg sat looking around at their surroundings. By headquarters standards it was barbaric of course, but for this time, he could tell they were in the residence of someone important. There was furniture in the room, including several beds like the one he'd slept on. Several pottery jugs stood on a table in the corner.

"He's my friend, he takes care of me now," Jeff answered the boy and moved to sit beside Bogg.

"You can let go now, I think I'm okay," Bogg told him, aware of Jeff's tight hold on his arm.

"I'll decide that," Jeff said firmly.

Bogg sighed, "can I try to stand up?" he asked in a sarcastic tone.

"If you promise not to fall down," Jeff answered immediately.

"Smart kids," Phineas said as he slowly stood up. Jeff kept a tight hold on his arm as he walked beside him toward the doorway, and then outside. The bright morning sun hurt Phineas' eyes and he squinted and looked away. He walked to a nearby bench and sat down, then took the omni off his belt and opened it.

"374 BC, Macedon, Greece," he said, then sighed, "red light."  
"It looks to me like we have to stay around Ari until we find something to fix," Jeff offered, standing close to his partner. He was heartened when he saw Bogg look up at him. He had that familiar gleam in his eye and Jeff suddenly felt a lot better. Fixing Aristotle's history suddenly seemed easy, "piece a cake," he finished and smiled.

"Nothing of mine needs fixing," Ari said from the doorway.

"Well, I think you need to spend some time with young Aristotle here, while I talk to his uncle," and Jeff could see Bogg was looking at Artemis as he worked on a harness several yards away.

"Stick around here though, okay?" Jeff asked.

Bogg nodded and they moved in opposite directions.


	5. Family

**Chapter 5 Family**

An hour later, Jeffrey found Bogg sitting beside a fence a few feet from where Artemis had been working. Artemis wasn't around, so Jeff approached, "how'd it go?"

"I don't think Artemis likes Ari very much," Bogg answered.

Jeff sighed, "and Ari doesn't like Artemis either," he said. "I just don't get it, they're family, they should be close."

"Well, not every family is close," Bogg answered, thinking about Jeffrey's Aunt Elizabeth. Jeff was silent and Bogg looked at him sideways. He could tell the same thought had just occurred to him.

"Then how are we supposed to finish this mission? I mean, they've been together for three months, since Ari's father died. They must really know each other by now. There's nothing we can do to suddenly make them like each other. Ari said his uncle never liked him to begin with," Jeff paused, "just like my Aunt Elizabeth."

There was a long silence as they both thought about the situation.

"After three months with you," Jeff paused, not sure how to express what he wanted to say. "I cared about you a lot, but Ari doesn't really care about Artemis at all."

Phineas smiled, thinking about what his feelings for Jeffrey had been after a few months of traveling together. "By then I cared a lot for you too," he agreed.

"All he does is feed Ari and give him a place to sleep, that's about it."

Bogg sighed, "maybe Ari needs to be with someone else."

"Fat chance of someone taking in a ten year old who wasn't even family," Jeff said skeptically.

"Oh, I don't know," Bogg replied, "it's been known to happen," and he smiled at Jeffrey until the kid's eyes opened wide and Bogg could tell he understood that was just what Phineas had done, though Jeff had been a bit older.

"Well, you're special," Jeff said softly, "but no one else would do it."

Bogg reached up and rubbed his eyes as his headache got suddenly worse. He took a deep breath and coughed several times, "I think I'll lay down for awhile," he said in a soft voice and Jeff went inside with him and helped him get settled back on the narrow bed.

Once he was settled, Jeff yawned too, realizing he hadn't slept at all the previous night. "Yeah, I'm kind of beat too. Maybe we can make sense of this later," he said. He stretched out on the floor next to the bed and tried to position his right hand in a way that didn't hurt so much before he closed his eyes.


	6. Proxenus

**Chapter 6 Proxenus**

"Proxenus!" Ari called out and both Jeff and Phineas jerked awake. It was late afternoon and Jeff rushed to the doorway to see Ari jump into the arms of a tall man holding a shepherd's staff. He stood watching as the man swung Ari around and then put him down.

"How are you Ari?" he asked.

"Better now," Aristotle said.

"I didn't expect to see you so far from the Apothecary, your father doesn't like you to wander around."

Ari's face fell and his lip started to quiver. Jeff watched, unable to take his eyes off the two of them. It was an emotional reunion, and would soon be more intense, since the man didn't seem to know Ari's father had died.

"What's wrong?" Proxenus whispered, kneeling in front of the boy and Jeffrey could tell the man cared a great deal for Ari.

"Father's dead," Ari said quietly and then he fell into the man's arms sobbing. Jeff watched Proxenus stand up with the boy in his arms and move to sit on a nearby stone bench. He held the boy and Jeff could hear him whisper, "it's going to be alright."

A lump formed in Jeff's throat and he could hear Bogg's voice from so long ago on the beach at Kitty Hawk, "It's gonna be okay," Bogg had said. He hadn't thought of that day for so long, he couldn't believe it would come back to him so clearly. He swallowed, wanting to keep his attention on the two before him.

Gradually Ari stopped crying, but Proxenus didn't let him go. He continued to hold him close and started rocking back and forth.

Jeff heard a sound behind him as Bogg approached.

"I think we've found a new guardian for Ari," Bogg whispered and Jeff nodded.

"So you're back," Artemis' booming voice cut through the air. Ari sat up straight and got down from Proxenus' lap to face his uncle.

Proxenus stood up, "I'm sorry for the loss of your brother," he said, standing to face the large man.

Jeff and Bogg exchanged an anxious look, it was clear these two didn't get along.

"Thank you, and since you have no business here any longer, you can leave," Artemis said.

Proxenus paused, at a loss for words, but seemingly unable to move.

Artemis turned away, then looked back when he noticed the other man still standing there, "why aren't you leaving?" he asked coldly.

"I," he paused, "I'd like to stay and visit with Aristotle. Who is caring for him now?"

"I am."

"Can I stay and talk with him?"

"If you must," and then he was gone.

As soon as Artemis left, Ari turned back to Proxenus and was lifted once again and cradled against the man's chest.

Proxenus sat down and Jeff knew the question before it was asked, "what happened to your father?"

Jeff and Phineas went back into the house and sat side by side on the bed, watching the scene through the open doorway. For the next quarter hour, Ari and Proxenus spoke softly. Finally, Ari climbed down and they walked away, holding hands.

"I'm gonna follow them," Jeff announced and stood up. He noticed Phineas standing at the same time, "oh no you don't" he said, turning to him, "you rest here."

"You aren't going out there without me," Bogg said immediately, "it could be dangerous."

Jeff stared at him, "you sure you're okay?" he asked, and his voice showed so much concern that Phineas almost couldn't answer.

"I'm all right," Bogg answered, moving toward the door. "We better get moving or we'll lose them."

"Okay," Jeff conceded and they started walking after the two. The sun was sinking as they followed the pair to an ornate building not far away. Proxenus knelt down at the entrance and then stood and entered and Ari followed behind.

"What's going on?" Jeff asked as they peered in. The room inside was long, but empty and he could see Ari and Proxenus kneeling at the other end.

"This is an Elysium Temple," Bogg whispered.

"What's that?"

"Elysium is a peaceful place where good people were thought to go when they died. This is a place for rituals of hope for the soul of the dead, that they would find their way there in the afterlife."

Jeff's jaw dropped open, "how do you know that?" he asked his partner.

"I'm a voyager kid, I know lots of things."

They backed behind a large statue as the pair left the temple and headed back to Artemis' home. They watched as Proxenus said goodbye to Ari and left. When they entered, they found Ari laying on a blanket on top of one of the beds, staring into space.

"Who was he?" Jeff asked.

"Proxenus is a sheep herder. He's been out on the range for the past three cycles of the moon. He didn't know about my father."

"You seem pretty close."

Ari blinked back tears, "he's a friend. He used to bring my father sheep guts for the apothecary and mutton for us. My father liked him, he always said he was a good man."

"Why can't you live with him instead of your uncle then?" Jeff asked.

Ari stared at him in shock, "no one would want a boy to take care of. My own uncle doesn't even want me."

"You'd be surprised," and he glanced at Bogg. "Why don't you ask him?"

Ari shook his head, "this is my fate, my uncle will give me food and shelter until I can work," he said in resignation.

Bogg unhooked the omni and opened it, he showed the red light to Jeff and motioned him to the bed and sat down wearily.

"Tomorrow I'll talk to Proxenus," he said with conviction and laid down, moving slowly with a soft groan.

"You sound pretty sure," Jeff said, but Bogg didn't answer, he was asleep as soon as he was lying flat.

Artemis entered and looked around, satisfied that things were as they should be. He laid down on the bed across the room.

Jeff was aware that Ari was watching him from across the room. He pulled the blanket up over Bogg's shoulders and sat down on the bed beside him. He left his hand resting on Bogg's chest, needing the reassurance that only direct contact could give him. Feeling the rise and fall of Bogg's breathing was comforting. Maybe seeing how Jeffrey felt about Bogg would help Ari realize that someone other than family could care about him.

'Artemis doesn't talk very much,' Jeff thought to himself, but still, he had pulled them out of the river and offered them a place to stay. He couldn't be that bad, though he might have allowed them to stay only because he thought Providence might somehow expect it of him. Maybe they could convince him to let Ari go with Proxenus, assuming Bogg was right and Proxenus would take him.

Suddenly Jeff felt very weary and moved to lay down on the floor next to the bed. He was asleep before he could think of another thing.


	7. Convincing Proxenus

**Chapter 7 Convincing Proxenus**

Proxenus stopped by early the next morning and Bogg spoke to him while Jeff kept Ari busy.

"Of course I've considered it. I thought about it all night," Proxenus replied when Bogg asked him about caring for Ari.

"Then why don't you do it?" Bogg asked.

"I don't know about children, and his uncle would never let me take him anyway, he hates sheep herders."

Bogg stared at him. "Those are excuses and you know it."

Proxenus pointed his finger at Bogg's chest, "you don't know the first thing about it," he yelled angrily, jabbing him with his finger.

"I know everything about it, I got Jeff the same way!" Bogg yelled back.

Jeff and Ari came running from behind a tree, "we heard shouting," Jeff said, taking in the scene. He ran to get between the two men, "that's enough, you can talk about this without getting physical." He didn't want to say it, but he was still worried about Bogg's weakened condition.

"I told you he wouldn't want me," Ari said and turned and ran away.

"It's not that," Proxenus called after him and then sighed and Bogg saw his opening.

"He's only ten, he needs a family, not just a place to sleep. You're the only one who can give him that," he said.

Proxenus looked up at the sky and shook his head as Bogg continued to speak.

"It's not like it's forever, in seven years he'll be an adult," he said. "He just needs you now!"

Proxenus suddenly turned and hurried in the direction Ari had run and Bogg lifted the omni off his belt and opened it. He smiled and showed Jeff the green light.

"We did it!" he said. When Jeffrey didn't respond he looked at the kid, "what's wrong?" he asked when he saw Jeff's face.

Jeff paused, "you made it sound like a math problem," he said quietly, looking up at his friend.

Phineas coughed twice into his arm and shook his head, "what are you talking about?"

"Ten plus 7 is 17 and then he'll be gone," Jeff whispered and suddenly Bogg understood. "And 13 plus 4," Jeff paused, "are you just waiting til I grow up so you don't have to be stuck with me anymore?" he asked, staring at his mentor. He wasn't really upset, because he didn't really believe it, but for some reason he didn't quite understand, he asked anyway.

"I had to use that line," Bogg explained, "so he'd think it wasn't such a big commitment. I thought he'd be less scared, and it worked." He paused and put his hand on Jeff's shoulder, "if he knew how he'll feel about Aristotle, he'd be too afraid to take him in. I had no clue how I'd feel about you when we first met. And now look at me, I can't even function without you at my side."

"That's not really true," Jeff said.

"Well, I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you, that's true. When we were in that river, I thought I was going to lose my grip and you'd be gone." Jeff heard the emotion in Bogg's voice and knew he was telling the truth.

Jeff nodded, "you protected me from those rocks."

"Best I could, and you saved me too, didn't you?"

Jeff nodded and Bogg knew it was true. He'd heard about the rescue from Artemis.

"Seems kind of odd though," Jeff said.

"What's that?"

"Well, Aristotle will be one of the smartest and most famous men in history."

"So?"

"So, instead of being raised inside the town in an important family, he's going to grow up with a sheep herder. It just seems odd."

Bogg stared at him, "well, you're very smart and you'll probably do important things too, and I've always thought it was odd that you ended up with me. Maybe it doesn't matter who raises a kid. If he's meant to be great, he'll be great."

Jeff stared at him in silence for a minute, then reached up and touched Bogg's arm, "it matters," he whispered seriously, and Bogg smiled down at him.

"Well, it looks like we're done here, so let's go back to Steve Martin," Bogg said finally as he started to twist the dial on the omni.

"Can I see that for a second?" Jeff asked, putting his hand on the device, "just for a second," he finished.

"Why?" Bogg asked as he relinquished it to his partner.

"I just need to see one thing," Jeff said as he twirled the dial. He touched Bogg's shoulder, "sorry pal," he said as he pushed the button.

_Author's Note: I always liked the scene in the episode "All Fall Down" where Jeff says "sorry pal" and omnis Bogg away from the fight because he's worried about him getting hurt. _


	8. He'll Clobber Me

**Chapter 8 He'll Clobber Me**

They landed at headquarters a few moments later. "Hey! I wasn't gonna bring us here, what's the big idea?" Bogg said, annoyance in his voice.

"The big idea is that you were hurt pretty bad when we landed in that river and you're sick too." When Bogg started to protest Jeff raised his voice. "And don't bother denying it!"

They were taken to the Infirmary right away for examinations. Jeffrey's right hand was x-rayed and a hairline fracture in one of the small bones of his hand was splinted.

"Do I really have to wear that?" he asked as Dr. Bradshaw pulled a sling out of a drawer in the corner.

"Just for a few days, why?"

Jeff sighed, "Bogg'll clobber me when he sees that," he said to the doctor.

Bradshaw had been turning to put away his supplies, but his attention suddenly shifted back to the boy and he sat down to face him again, a serious expression on his face. "Are you saying that Voyager Bogg has hit you?"

Jeff's jaw dropped open, "no," he answered in a shocked voice.

"You can tell me, you're safe here," Bradshaw continued.

"There's nothing to tell," Jeff said in astonishment.

"You just said that..."

"I meant he'd be mad, that's all," Jeff interrupted him.

The doctor paused, "and when he gets mad, what happens?"

Jeff stared at him, "nothing."

"What happens?"

"We argue sometimes, nothing happens."

"Does he often get mad when you get hurt?"

Jeff shook his head, confused, "he doesn't get mad when I get hurt," he said in disbelief.

"You said he'd be mad."

"Because I didn't tell him," Jeff paused, "we're supposed to tell each other if we get hurt. It's a rule we have, but he was hurt worse than I was, so I never told him about my hand."

They stared at each other for a few seconds. "I see," Bradshaw replied slowly. "So you're not saying that Voyager Bogg has hurt you in the past?"

"No way, he's great. He always takes care of me. You know that!"

Bradshaw nodded, "I believe you, but we would take complaints of abuse very seriously, so don't say anything like that again unless it's true, alright?"

Jeff sighed in relief and nodded, "I won't." Bradshaw put the sling on him and adjusted the fit, then smiled as they parted.

After Bradshaw left he thought about his comment and how much trouble it had almost caused. He remembered using those very words with Billy the Kid and he wasn't bothered at all by it. He would really have to work on considering where he was before he spoke from now on.

_Author's Note: It always bothered me that Jeff said Bogg would clobber him in Episode 3, Bully and Billy. We all know Phineas would never hit Jeffrey, yet, kids do say the darndest things!_


	9. A Scary Thing

**Chapter 9 A Scary Thing**

Jeffrey made his way out to the reception desk and was shown where Bogg was laying on a bed in one of the treatment rooms. He approached and sat down next to his guardian. He could see Bogg's eyes were closed, so he leaned back in the chair and closed his own eyes too.

Four hours later, Bogg woke up and spoke, "hey kid?"

Jeff woke up suddenly and saw Phineas smiling at him from the bed. He stood up and hugged him with his good arm, "how do you feel?"

"A lot better, it's amazing what antibiotics can do. What happened to you?" he moved his head in the direction of Jeff's arm in the sling.

"Just a little break."

"A little break?" Bogg asked slowly in an exaggerated tone of disbelief.

"Yeah, what about you?"

"Pneumonia, concussion, that's all," he answered with a chuckle.

"It's not funny Bogg!" Jeff said and his voice was upset. "Pneumonia can kill you," he continued, "so can hitting your head."

"Relax kid, I'm fine. You took good care of me." The rest had done his headache a world of good, and his lungs felt better every minute. He reached out and touched Jeff's side, careful to avoid his arm, "does it hurt much?" he asked.

Jeff shook his head, and suddenly the enormity of Bogg's injuries hit him. He reached up and wiped his eyes, then leaned forward and rested his head against Phineas' chest.

"Not one of our healthier trips, eh?" Phineas said softly, resting his hand lightly against Jeff's back. As he lay there with Jeff he was again struck by how much Jeffrey needed him. It was a scary thing, to have a child need you so much. He hadn't been lying when he said he couldn't tell Proxenus how much his life would be changed if he took in Aristotle. It would have scared him away. Phineas still felt scared sometimes, though he would never admit that to Jeffrey. And to jump into the responsibility with virtually no preparation, well, he'd also often thought he was nuts.

Still, he could feel Jeff's head resting against his chest now and he knew he wouldn't have it any other way. It wasn't logical, and he never would have predicted it, but it was true.

A short time later, Jeff sat up.

"I didn't plan on coming back to headquarters," Phineas began. Jeff's face fell and he lowered his eyes. He was afraid his partner was going to yell at him for bringing them back, though he really felt he hadn't any choice. "I'm glad I had you to do it for me," Bogg finished. "I just wasn't thinking right."

Jeff looked up at him and smiled, "really?"

"You didn't think I'd be mad, did you?"

"Well, when we first got here you weren't too happy."

"Sorry about that. And I'm sorry I didn't realize you got hurt so badly."

"Yeah, well, pneumonia and a concussion can be a little distracting, not to mention the red light," Jeff told him.

A few minutes later, a man brought in a cot so Jeffrey could stay for the night.

"It really makes you think," Jeff said as he finally settled into the soft bed.

"What do you mean?"

"How much people can be like us, even 2,000 years ago."

Bogg sighed, "history changes, inventions and theories come along, but people are people. Remember when we went through the adoption hearing during Convergence?"

"Yeah."

"I said it then and it's always been true, people are human beings and they all need the same things. All the theories about human interaction are just a way to say the same thing."

"Aristotle spent his whole life thinking about things, do you think he ever figured out what people need, or the meaning of life?" Jeff asked.

"I know what he figured out."

Jeff sat up, "you do?"

"Surprised again?"

"Well, yeah, I guess."

"He studied everything; logic, cause and effect, ethics, biology, astronomy, math, you name it. Know what he figured out?"

"What?"

"Essentially, that some things are more certain than others."

Jeff paused, waiting for more. When it seemed unlikely that Bogg would continue, he asked, "so?"

"Yeah."

"That's it?"

"Fraid so."

"But he spent his whole life thinking about things."

"I know kid. Maybe it's better to spend your life living, doing some good in the world."

Jeff leaned back in the bed, it seemed like there was so much to think about. Finally, he closed his eyes and slept.

They stayed at headquarters for two weeks, recovering from their various maladies. Finally, they stood side by side in the landing area and Bogg set the dial on the omni and pushed the button.


	10. Philosophy or Theatre?

**Chapter 10 Philosophy or Theatre**

They landed on a familiar grassy slope and each rolled over once before they sat up. They both glanced around quickly, but like the last time, all seemed peaceful.

"We're back at the college again," Jeff observed, pointing to the wide road and the sign that read 'California State University'. They were behind a few large trees and Jeff peeked around them again and saw grassy lawns and a few students walking on the paths that criss-crossed the area. "Is it the same date?"

Bogg took the omni off his belt and opened it, "Long Beach, California, 1964, red light."

"There he is," and Jeff pointed to a very youthful appearing Steve Martin, standing in virtually the same spot as last time, about to toss a coin.

Jeffrey walked forward and touched the man's arm, drawing his attention away from the coin toss. "Hi, I'm Jeffrey, this is my father, Phineas Bogg," he said.

"Phineas? Bogg?" the man said staring at the two voyagers. "That name has a strange sound to it. Kind of funny, did anyone ever tell you that?" he asked.

Bogg cleared his throat, "yeah, it's come up," he answered with a smile.

"You're Steve Martin, aren't you?" Jeff asked again.

"That's right."

"So what're you doing with that coin?"

Martin sighed, "I'm tossing this coin to make a decision because I have no idea what to do."

"What decision?" Jeff asked as Bogg looked on.

"I can't put it off any longer," he said, and his voice betrayed his stress. Jeff waited for him to continue, "I need to pick a major."

"What are your choices?"

Steve laughed, "I really don't see how a kid I've never met can help me, but okay kid, Philosophy or Theatre, what do you think?"

Jeff smiled, "you mean Philosophy, like in Plato and Aristotle?"

"Yeah, as in 'What's the meaning of life, why are we here', that kind of stuff."

"You're a great comedian, I've seen your act," Jeff said, "you belong in Theatre."

"Really?"

"Yeah, of course," Jeff answered enthusiastically.

Martin looked down at the form in front of him, "okay kid, I don't know why I should let some kid I don't know tell me what to do, but, I guess stranger things have happened. He checked off the box for Theatre and bent down to pick up his backpack. "See ya kid," he said as he walked toward the Administration Building not far away.

Jeff turned back to Bogg with a satisfied smile and watched him open the omni. When he heard the red light blinking, he froze. "This can't be," he said.

"He must need to choose Philosophy," Bogg said.

"That's impossible."

"Well, there's only one way to find out" and he hurried after Martin, with Jeff following close behind. Inside the building, he caught up to the actor and stood behind him in line. "So, why were you thinking about Philosophy?" he asked.

"Because you study logic, and non-sequiturs. I always thought that would be interesting."

"If that's what you're interested in, why don't you major it that?"

Martin stared at Bogg for a moment, "you know, maybe you're right. I'm performing outside of college, I don't need to take Theatre in college too." They watched as he erased the check mark on his form and checked the box for Philosophy as a major. "Thanks," then he turned away from them as the line moved forward and Jeff watched him hand in the form.

Bogg eased out of line and Jeff watched as he opened the omni, sure that it would still be red.

"Green light?" Jeff whispered. They walked out and went back behind the trees where they had landed. "But I don't get it?" Jeff asked. "He's Steve Martin, he's a famous comedian, it doesn't make sense."

"Kid, sometimes the path from here to there can be very crooked. Sometimes you just have to trust the omni."

Suddenly they both disappeared.


	11. Detour

**Chapter 11 Detour**

Jeffrey sat on the hard bench in the hallway, outside the office door. They had been pulled back to headquarters without any warning and as soon as they had arrived, Bogg had been escorted behind that closed door for some kind of meeting. Jeffrey wasn't sure whether he was more worried or more curious about the reason. Finally the door opened and Bogg walked out into the hall and paused. His expression was tense, difficult to read and Jeff stood up and looked at him worriedly.

"What's wrong?" Jeff whispered as he walked closer.

He watched as his partner half-smiled, "how long have you got?" Bogg answered.

Jeff stared at him, he didn't like Bogg's expression, he didn't look like himself. "As long as it takes," he answered in a serious tone.

"I don't even know where to start," Bogg whispered.

"Let's go somewhere and sit down," Jeff said, and they walked into a courtyard and sat down together on a bench in the shade.

"I didn't even know this," Phineas began in a subdued voice, "but, if a member of a Voyager's close family dies alone, the Voyager can decide to be there."

There was silence as Jeffrey tried to grasp what that could mean. "What does that have to do with you?" he whispered.

Bogg sighed, "well, if I had stayed in the time stream, and lived a normal life, when I was as old as I am now, my mother would be dying."

Jeffrey let the silence continue.

Phineas glanced over at him and sighed, "so I'm allowed to be there when she passes," he paused, "if I want to be. They gave me the choice," he whispered.

Jeff gave his partner his full attention, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Are you going?"

Phineas nodded, "I guess I'll be gone for a day or two."

"I'm coming with you," Jeff said immediately.

"You don't have to," Bogg said, thinking about how many memories this would be stirring up for Jeffrey.

"You're my family, so she is too" Jeff whispered.

Phineas looked at him and their eyes met. He could see determination and concern in Jeff's gaze and nodded, "okay."


	12. Bogg's Mother

**Chapter 12 Bogg's Mother**

They landed on a wooden floor, in a small room. They stood up and glanced around, aware of the sound of a hard rain pounding on the roof. There were red embers in the fireplace, and they cast a weak light in the room. As their eyes became accustomed to the dim light, Phineas spied a small bed. He walked forward and knelt beside the figure as he heard a weak, congested cough.

Jeffrey looked around for a lamp, but the fireplace seemed to be the only source of light, so he busied himself bringing the fire back to life. Soon, there was enough light to see the interior of the room more clearly.

"Ma?" Bogg's voice was soft and loving. Jeffrey sat quietly, feeling privileged to witness this emotional scene. He fought back tears when he heard the sound of Bogg's voice and his thoughts immediately flew to his parents.

Phineas reached out to touch the woman's face and she moved her hand to cover his. "Phineas?" she said softly and coughed weakly.

"I'm here," he answered.

"You're alive?"

He nodded, "I'm alive, I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered and coughed again. Then, slowly, she lowered her arm and closed her eyes, "the light's so bright."

Phineas leaned down and kissed her forehead, "you did good," he whispered in a shaking voice, but she didn't speak again. He continued to sit beside her, as her breathing became more rapid and more shallow. The rain stopped just before she took her last breath.

Jeffrey looked up when he realized she had died, but Bogg still sat beside her in silence. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, Phineas stood up and spoke. "They'll find her this morning, we can't be here," he said in a voice betraying emotion. And as one, they moved toward the door and out into the street. The first rays of sunlight were just hitting the village and Phineas quickly dodged into a space between two buildings as a woman passed by. Jeff turned and watched her enter the room they had just exited.

"Mama!" he heard an anguished cry and felt another lump in his throat.

He turned to join Bogg and noticed he was still turned away from the street.

"Ma!" the cry came again, a bit softer, and Jeffrey watched Phineas bow his head. The girl must be Bogg's sister.

They stood quietly for a few more minutes before Bogg straightened up and sniffed, then turned, "I guess we should find a place to stay. They'll bury her tomorrow, I'd like to stay for that, but we have to keep away from people, just in case someone might recognize me."

Jeff nodded and answered softly, "okay." He followed Bogg through the alleyways of the village until they came to a building set apart from the others, on the outskirts of the town. It was a pub and Jeffrey knew there were most likely rooms upstairs for rent.

The room was small, with one bed and a large sack, stuffed with straw on the floor to serve as a second place to sleep. Jeff could tell this was a very poor place and time, these accommodations were among the worst he could remember.

Phineas sat down on the bed and sighed, staring straight ahead. Normally they would toss Bogg's lucky coin for the bed, but this time it only seemed right that Bogg should get it. He looked so distracted that Jeff wasn't even sure he knew there weren't two beds in the room.

"You okay?" Jeff asked worriedly.

Bogg looked at him and nodded. "Yeah," he paused, "it just feels so strange, I mean, I've been to times hundreds of years before she was even born, and times hundreds of years after she would've died." He paused for a long minute, "it's just hard to know what's real."

Jeffrey hesitated and then walked over and put his arms around Phineas and squeezed as hard as he could and whispered into his ear "this is real."

Phineas rested his head on Jeff's shoulder as his eyes filled with tears. When they separated he reached up to wipe his face. "I didn't think seeing Grace would be so hard," he whispered, "I wanted to go to her..."

"That's your sister?"

Bogg nodded and Jeff cast his eyes on the floor. He wished that someone had wanted to comfort him when his parents died, like Bogg wanted to go to his sister. But that had never happened. Aunt Elizabeth was his only relative and she wasn't the comforting type. Not like Bogg was.

Slowly Phineas stretched out on the bed on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Jeffrey sat down on a stool beside a small window that overlooked the crowded, village and stared out, following first one, then another of the villagers as they traversed the narrow alleys. There was nothing to indicate that anything of importance had happened during the night. A woman had died, and there were only a few people who knew or cared.

He could see a graveyard in the distance, up on a small hill, and guessed that was where she would be buried. Then he suddenly realized that he didn't even know her name.

"What was her name Bogg?"

Phineas heard the question though his mind was drifting through memories of his early life.

"Catherine," he answered.

Jeffrey stared out the window as the sun reached its peak in the sky and started to descend. He had been studying the people and trying not to interfere with his partner's thoughts. In 1982, he might have spent the time watching TV, but as a voyager, he had learned how to be patient and entertain himself as he waited for things that had to unfold in their own time.

"Jeff?" the sudden mention of his name surprised him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you came."

Jeff nodded, unsure what to say, "yeah."

A moment later Phineas spoke again, "I guess we need to find you something to eat," he said, and the bed creaked as he sat up.

"You too."

An hour later they had eaten in the pub beneath their room, and Jeff followed Bogg out into the narrow street. It wasn't really wide enough to be called a street, Jeff thought to himself. There were only people and a few small carts that traveled through the town and they didn't need much room. They made their way to a central square and to a shop with wooden boxes piled in front. As Jeffrey overheard a conversation between two men who were looking at one of them, he slowly realized that the boxes were coffins. This was a coffin shop. He waited outside as Bogg walked in. A few moments later his partner reappeared.

"Tomorrow morning, up on the hill," Bogg said as he walked past him, and Jeff knew he'd gone in to find out when the funeral would be. Jeffrey wondered what a funeral would be like in this time, but suddenly he realized it really didn't matter. All that mattered was that death was forever, and that's why there was so much anguish for the survivors.

He wiped his eyes as he followed along behind Bogg, chastising himself for shedding tears. This was Bogg's time to mourn, not his, he had no right to make Bogg feel like he had to comfort him, when it was really Bogg who needed the comfort.


	13. A Nephew

**Chapter 13 A Nephew**

Phineas walked quickly back to the pub, glad to be away from the Undertaker's Office. He felt surprisingly good, considering where they were and what they were doing. This was definitely not one of the more fun or interesting places they had ever been. Jeffrey was probably very bored and they had another long night to get through.

"I'll show you the harbor," he said and turned to Jeff to motion him forward. Phineas wasn't surprised that he looked upset. Watching someone die and visiting an Undertaker weren't exactly cheerful activities. He also imagined that many things would have brought back memories of his own parent's tragic deaths. "Let's go this way," Bogg said, pointing to a path off to the left. "It's more secluded, best to see as few people as possible while we're here."

As they walked, he draped his hand over Jeff's shoulder. Jeff smiled, happy to see a glimmer of Bogg's usual self.

As they approached the harbor they could see the tall masts of several ships towering above the surrounding trees. "That's a lot like the ship I ended up on when I was shanghaied," he said, pointing to a large sailing vessel anchored in the center of the harbor.

"It's huge."

"Yeah, I used to climb all the way up to the top and be lookout in the crow's nest," Bogg said and pointed to the perch at the top of the mast.

"How did you get taken to be a voyager?" Jeffrey asked.

Phineas shrugged and sighed, "we were trying to ride out a hurricane, a giant wave washed me right off the deck."

Jeff looked at the size of the ship and tried to imagine the size a wave would need to be to do that. He'd never come close to seeing a storm that severe and he hoped he never would. "Some storm," he whispered.

Phineas seemed to come out of his thoughts. He smiled at Jeff, "all water under the bridge now, so to speak."

They headed back to the pub and Bogg steered Jeffrey through the crowd of rowdy sailors who had taken up places at the tables in the lower level.

"Why can't we stay down here and see what's going on?" Jeff asked.

"It's not a good place for kids," Bogg answered, and as if to punctuate his comment, a fight suddenly broke out in a corner of the room. "Come on," and he ushered Jeffrey up the steps to their room. Once inside he looked around, "only one bed?" He was reaching into his pocket for the coin when Jeff put his hand on Bogg's arm.

"You get the bed," Jeff said evenly.

Phineas paused and looked at him. It seemed like Jeffrey needed to do this for him, so he didn't argue. He took his hand out of his pocket, "okay," he said and then he watched Jeff turn and settle himself on the bag of straw in the corner. It felt good to have someone care about him so much, before he'd met Jeffrey, he hadn't felt part of a family for a long time.

Both voyagers were exhausted and morning came quickly. They rose and made their way to the cemetery on the hill. Before long, a wagon entered the area and they watched as a coffin was set into the ground. A woman, man and young boy followed behind, dressed in black.

They couldn't hear the words spoken by the preacher, but it didn't matter. They watched the family, and noticed that they lingered after the preacher left. Bogg's eyes never left his sister, until the boy suddenly darted toward the tree where he and Jeffrey were hiding. As she turned to watch the child, Bogg faced away, trying not to be seen.

"Phineas, I see you!" Grace called and the boy laughed and hid behind a gravestone.

Bogg's eyes widened but Jeff whispered, "she's talking to the boy."

Phineas sighed in relief and closed his eyes. He'd been afraid his sister had seen him, technically, he knew he shouldn't be this close to her.

"I've got a story for you," Grace's voice called again and Jeff watched the boy hurry back to his mother. The child looked very handsome and something about him reminded Jeff of Bogg.

"He looks like you... a little," Jeff said. As he watched, the boy jumped into a puddle, splashing water everywhere, and then laughed, "and acts like you too," Jeff chuckled.

As the boy moved away, Bogg turned back and watched as the little family moved to a second gravestone nearby. He watched his sister put a flower on the stone and bend down to show something to the boy.

A short time later they left, and Jeff started walking toward the stone where they had gathered. Phineas followed along and stood behind Jeffrey as he stopped in front of the stone. It read:

_Phineas Bogg_

_Beloved son and brother_

_1610 A.D. - 1628 A.D._

They stood in silence for a long time, until Jeffrey finally spoke.

"It looks like they found out what happened to you, and when."

"Yeah, word gets back eventually about who died, maybe even how they died. I hope they know I didn't leave on purpose."

"They do," Jeff said with certainty.

They stood in silence a bit longer, "I guess I have a nephew," Bogg said and Jeff could tell without looking back at him that he was smiling.

"A real one too, not like me," Jeff answered, "and your sister tells him stories about you."

Bogg put his hand on Jeff's shoulder, "you're pretty real," he said. "Anyway, you're really my son."

Jeff looked up at him and smiled, it still felt a bit strange to hear Bogg call him his son. "I guess that means I have a cousin," he paused, "and an aunt too," he paused, "another one. It's too bad I can never get to know them."

"Well, we can keep the time stream on track for them," Bogg answered and smiled as he squeezed Jeff's shoulder again, "that's something."

"Yeah."

Bogg stared at the flower that Grace had left on the stone, and then sighed. "Guess it's time to go," he whispered as he took out the omni.

"I don't think you should voyage just yet," Jeff said.

"They told me to come back to headquarters when we were done," and he pushed the button.

_Author's Note: Both Catherine and Grace are listed in the top 20 most common names of 1600- 1630, so that's why I chose them. Then I decided to look up the name Phineas. It is so uncommon that it was not in the top 1,000 names listed. Just an interesting Voyagers! factoid._


	14. Sartre

**Chapter 14 Sartre**

The stop at Headquarters was just for two days, but Jeff could tell that Bogg was back to his normal self when they finally left. They had a lot of down time and Jeff had spent many hours in the library, looking up philosophers and reading something about each one. He hadn't talked to his partner about anything he'd read because he didn't think Bogg would be able to shed light on any of the writings. Mostly, Bogg had relaxed, taking a daily swim in the lake and enjoying the readily available food and the peace. Jeff was glad when it was time to leave though, because he felt more confused than ever about philosophy.

They landed rather softly, on a bed of thick grass in the middle of a town square. There were a few people around, and they scrambled to their feet, afraid they'd been noticed, but it became obvious that everyone present was focused on one man who was tacking up a piece of paper on some kind of community bulletin board.

"Where are we?" Jeff asked, crossing his arms in front of him as a strong gust of wind gave him a chill. He watched as Bogg opened the omni.

"May 11th, 1938, Le Havre, France, red light," Phineas paused and looked around the flower-lined square, "it's a pretty place," he remarked.

"Yeah, too bad the war will destroy it in a few years," Jeff said.

As Bogg put the omni back on his belt, he noticed a girl walk away from the crowd. His eyes followed her and he smiled.

Jeff glanced between the two, and normally would have rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, but Bogg's mother's death was still fresh in his mind and he realized that he liked seeing his partner looking so much like his normal self.

"I've always loved France," Phineas said wistfully, oblivious to the cold wind, as the girl went inside a nearby house. He turned back to Jeffrey, "any idea why we're here?"

"Well, the Germans won't invade until 1940, so not really."

"Right, the Civil War."

"Bogg," Jeff said sternly.

"Not the Civil War?"

"The Second World War," Jeff said slowly, pausing between each word for emphasis. As he did, he had a flashback to when he'd first met Bogg. It was during the First World War, and he remembered saying the name of the war the exact same way. Bogg looked at him and smiled, and Jeff knew he was thinking of the same thing.

"Some things never change, eh?" Bogg kidded him with a smile.

Jeffrey laughed, and before he knew it he was giving Bogg a quick hug. "Let's go read what he tacked up," Jeff said as he let go of his friend and they walked toward the board, Bogg's arm draped over Jeff's shoulder.

The wind was ruffling the paper and threatening to tear it as Jeff approached and read aloud, "it's just an advertisement for a substitute teacher at the Lycee of Le Havre, that's a school."

"Does it mention anyone famous?" Bogg asked and Jeff read the fine print.

"I don't believe this," Jeff whispered.

"What?"

"Jean-Paul Sartre's name is at the bottom, he's listed as the person to respond to. I was just reading about him."

"He one of the Philosophers you've been trying to make sense of?"

"How did you know I've been reading up on Philosophers?"

"I know more than you think," Bogg answered seriously.

"Well, he's one I don't really understand... yet."

"If you spend too much time thinking about philosophy, you'll get really messed up." Bogg held up his hand when it looked like Jeff was going to argue. "Just my opinion, that's all," he finished.

"Well, I guess we should find him," Jeff said, looking around. Years of voyaging had taught him that the omni usually put them down very close to where the trouble was.

Right on cue, they saw a man exit the house that Bogg had watched the girl enter. He walked toward them, a stack of papers in his hands, and his focus on the board.

"Are you Mr. Sartre?" Jeff asked, taking a stab in the dark.

The man's gaze left the papers he carried and he glanced up and addressed them. "I am, who are you?"

"Jeffrey Jones," and he motioned to his partner, "and this is my friend, Phineas Bogg."

"You two must be new in town, I don't remember seeing you before."

"We just got in," Jeff paused, "is that a book you're writing?" Phineas refrained from speaking, as he usually did in order to let Jeffrey get more experience.

"Trying to write is more like it, I'm giving up."

"What's wrong?" Jeff asked, "maybe we can help."

Sartre glanced back at the house and shook his head. "Not unless you can give me advice about women."

Jeff looked at Bogg and backed out of the way. Without exchanging any words, they switched roles.

"What's the problem?" Bogg asked.

"She has another man inside," Sartre said.

Bogg stared at the man. "What's your relationship?"

"We are living together."

"So you aren't married?" Bogg asked.

"We don't believe in marriage, it's just an artificial social construct." He paused and Bogg stared at him. "There is nothing inherently right about marriage," Sartre continued, as though to convince Bogg.

"So you live together, but aren't married, and you can see other people?" Bogg asked cautiously, half afraid he would give a strange idea to a philosopher and cause a rift in the time stream that would be too intricate for them to unravel without help. He knew from experience that philosophers could be troublesome.

Here Sartre shrugged, "well, this is the first time she's had someone else come over," he finished lamely.

Bogg looked at Jeff and raised his eyebrows, "well, if you want to object, I suggest you better get in there and do it before something happens."

"I can't object," Sartre said miserably and suddenly threw his manuscript to the ground in anger. Immediately the pages began to blow away, caught by the gusty wind.

Jeffrey scrambled to chase them as they flew in all directions.

"Sure you can, anybody would," Bogg continued. "Who is he anyway?"

"Just one of the waiters at the Regency House," he said, motioning to a large building up the street.

"Why don't you tell her how upset you are?" Bogg suggested as Jeff returned with a large stack of papers. "Women love to hear that the men in their lives really care about them."

"You don't understand," he explained, "this is what I... what we believe. I guess I just have to get used to it."

"What about him? Does he think that way too?" and Bogg motioned toward the house.

"I don't know, I barely know him," he replied in a miserable tone.

"I think I got them all," Jeff announced as he returned. Phineas turned quickly and checked the omni, showing the red light to Jeff.

"Thank you, but, it doesn't matter, I can't finish this now. I never should've started it in the first place."

Jeff pulled Bogg off to the side, "Sartre published a famous book in 1938, he has to finish it."

"You sure?"

"Sure I'm sure, I just read about it at headquarters."

"Think you can convince him to finish it?"

Jeff immediately turned back to the philosopher. "I read a little of what you wrote as I was picking up the pages. It looked pretty important," he began.

Sartre shook his head.

Jeff continued undeterred, "so can you explain it to me?"

Sartre sighed and pulled his coat closed, "you two aren't dressed for this weather, come inside." To Jeff's surprise, he headed back to the house, motioning for the two of them to follow. Bogg shrugged and followed along.

An hour later, as they sat around a kitchen table, Sartre finished a long diatribe with "so since inanimate objects are indifferent to my existence, it follows that all meanings they appear to have, come from me." He sat back, satisfied with himself and took a sip of tea.

"Thanks for explaining that, now do you see why you should finish that book?" Jeffrey said even though he himself didn't really see that.

"Yes, I guess I will finish this book after all, thank you," Sartre said.

Jeff glanced at Bogg, who had turned away and was opening the omni. He heard the green light before he saw it and immediately stood up. "We really should be going, thanks for everything," he said, reaching out his hand to shake.  
Sartre smiled, "I don't shake hands," he said.

Jeff nodded, "artificial rule?"

"Artificial social construct, though in some situations one would want to know if the other person was holding a weapon."

"Well, nice to meet you, good luck with the book," Bogg said hastily and they exited the building.

As they walked away, Phineas looked down at his partner, "so what did you think of him?"

Jeff stopped walking, looked up at Bogg and shook his head. "I'm exhausted from just listening. I have no idea," he said seriously, and Phineas smiled. "Can we see how Steve Martin turned out?"

Phineas took the omni off his belt and twirled the dials, as Jeffrey took hold of is arm firmly, then they disappeared.


	15. A Voyager's Philosophy

**Chapter 15 A Voyager's Philosophy**

"So where are we?" Jeff asked the familiar question as he pulled down his red and white striped shirt.

Phineas opened the omni as Jeff looked around, "Hollywood, California," he said, "October 19th, 1968, and its green."

Jeff tapped his arm and pointed to a sign, "CBS sound stage, Smothers Brothers Show," he said. "I think Steve Martin will be around here."

"That looks like him," Bogg said as he watched a somewhat older Martin exit the stage and take a seat near a trailer, alongside several reporters. "Looks like he's being interviewed, come on." They walked to the edge of the small group of reporters so they could hear what was said.

"You've had a tremendous amount of success in the past few years Mr. Martin, can you tell me anything about your philosophy of success?" one of the reporters asked.

Martin laughed, "it's funny you should use that word, philosophy, because I majored in philosophy in college, and it changed what I believe and what I think about everything."

"How so?"

Martin chuckled, "in philosophy, I started studying logic, and they were talking about cause and effect, and you start to realize, there is no cause and effect. There is no logic, there is no anything. Then it gets real easy to write this stuff, the comedy, because all you have to do is twist everything... hard. You twist the punch line away from the things that set it up." The reporters were silent so Martin continued, "if you're studying geology, which is all facts, as soon as you get out of school you forget it all, but with philosophy, you remember just enough to screw you up for the rest of your life. You know, a lot of people come to me and say, 'Steve, how can you be so funny?' There's a secret to it, it's no big deal. Before I write or go out on stage, I put a slice of bologna in each of my shoes, it makes me feel funny."

"Oh," the reporter said in an uncertain tone, "well, congratulations on your success with the Smothers Brothers Show."

"Thank you," Martin answered, "I'm sorry, but that's all the time I have," and he stood up and headed back inside.

Phineas glanced at Jeff, "you thought the omni was wrong when it said he should choose philosophy, didn't you?" he asked.

Jeff sighed, "yeah, I couldn't see how they were connected. Well, he's on track, so I guess we can leave. Why do you think the omni brought us here when it's a green light?"

"Well, we saw him off track twice, so sometimes the omni will stay with a person's timeline for one extra trip, just to make sure it's really fixed." Then Bogg paused, "then again, sometimes I think the omni takes us where you need to go."

"I know you've said that before, but are you really serious?"

"Well, you've got this whole 'what's the meaning of life thing' rattling around in your brain, and here we are with another philosopher."

"Steve Martin's not a philosopher Bogg, he's a comedian," Jeff said.

"Sure he is. Anyone who understands something about the world can be a philosopher, they all think different things anyway," he paused, "or nothing."

Jeff ran forward to a stone fence they were approaching. He climbed up so he could sit at eye level to his partner. "Okay then, if anyone can be a philosopher, what's your philosophy?" he asked, staring at his partner.

"Me?" Bogg asked in surprise.

"Yeah."

"I think the meaning is in people. To be loved and to love, and to have meaningful work. Once you've got those, everything else will fall into place," Phineas told him. "That's what I think anyway, and that's based on a lot of observation... and I do mean a lot."

Jeff stared at him, "it seems too simple."

"You're a philosopher too," Bogg told him with a smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Remember after my mother died when you squeezed me really hard and said 'this is real'?"

Jeff nodded, "yeah." he said softly.

"That was your philosophy. Simple, but pretty important. I mean, you might expand it as you grow up, but, it was the truth, and that's what philosophers are trying to figure out."

Jeff smiled and reached out to Phineas and Bogg once again pulled him in close for a long hug, thinking that Jeffrey would be grown before he knew it and probably wouldn't want to hug him then. He should take all the hugs he could get, and besides that, he never could resist the kid.

The End

_Authors Note: I know this story was a bit short on action and their red lights weren't always big things, but I'm hoping you'll forgive me. I've always thought Steve Martin was a comic genius and when I learned about his philosophy background, I just couldn't resist writing it into a story. I started out by wanting to give Jeff a solution he thought he was sure of, but that wasn't correct, to get him to think. Then, the story just developed a mind of its own and this is what I ended up with. Anyway, I hope there were enough positives in the story to compensate for the negatives. Thanks for reading!_


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